Through this experiment Avery, Macleod and Mc Carty had showed that DNA is the sole carrier of genetic information

Options

A. Transcription
B. Transduction
C. Transformation
D. Translocation

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Question**: The question asks about the experiment conducted by Avery, Macleod, and McCarty that demonstrated DNA as the sole carrier of genetic information.

2. **Identifying the Experiment**: The experiment in question is known as the transformation experiment. This involved the study of bacterial transformation, where genetic material is transferred from one bacterium to another.

3. **Background Knowledge**: Prior to Avery, Macleod, and McCarty's work, Frederick Griffith had conducted an experiment with two strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae (the virulent S strain and the non-virulent R strain). He found that the R strain could be transformed into the virulent S strain when exposed to heat-killed S strain bacteria.

4. **Avery, Macleod, and McCarty's Experiment**:
- They isolated the components of the heat-killed S strain and treated them with different enzymes (proteases and DNases).
- Proteases degrade proteins, while DNases degrade DNA.
- They mixed the treated extracts with live R strain bacteria.

5. **Observations**:
- When the extract was treated with protease, the transformation still occurred, and the R strain became virulent.
- However, when the extract was treated with DNase, the transformation did not occur, meaning the R strain remained non-virulent.

6. **Conclusion**: The results indicated that DNA was the transforming principle responsible for the genetic transformation of the R strain into the S strain. This provided strong evidence that DNA is the hereditary material in bacteria.

7. **Final Statement**: Thus, Avery, Macleod, and McCarty conclusively demonstrated that DNA is the sole carrier of genetic information through their transformation experiment.

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